1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to spring-armed kitchen utensils.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spring-armed utensils are commonly used in kitchens for gripping or preparing food items. Examples include spring-armed tongs, garlic presses, cherry pitters, and other types of utensils.
It is awkward to store these kinds of utensils when not in use. The arm span when sprung open takes up excessive space in a drawer. The functional ends of the utensils can also get caught on other things, particularly if the ends have any projecting or sharp edges.
Various types of locking mechanisms have been provided, the simplest of which is a loop or ring, which encircles the arms and which can be slid toward the functional ends of the arms when pinched together to retain the arms in closed position. While relatively simple, the loop lock is not ideal, since it can be inadvertently engaged by gravity while the utensil is in active use. The loop lock can also be inadvertently released at undesirable times. Also, such locks are apt to wear out in a short time.
Other types of locks are generally more complicated. Some locks involve shifting the position of a main pivot back into a non-functional position or otherwise blocking the main pivot. Some involve bringing stops together over the length of the arms. Some involve temporarily disabling or blocking the spring. All of these methods cause wear on the moving parts, which must interact to provide the locking function. For this reason, existing locks are less than ideal. Existing locks also use complicated hardware, adding to manufacturing difficulty and expense.
In use, existing locks may be excessively difficult or excessively easy to engage. Ideally, a lock should permit the utensil to be engaged one handed and without the need to contact the forward functional ends which may be dirty or greasy from use. Ideally, the lock should also not be unintentionally engageable.